Dating app Tinder at the end of 2022 released the Tinder Year in Swipe 2022, chronicling the twists and turns of dating for young Indonesians. From dating expectations post-pandemic to Spotify anthems to unique dating ideas such as “exerdating” (exercise date), concertgoing, and culinary tourism.

One unique aspect of Tinder users in Indonesia is that Indonesians tend to use the Tinder Passport feature and swipe abroad, specifically to South Korea, England, and Singapore. 

Papri Dev, Tinder APAC Comms Head, said, "This year, singles in Indonesia are showing more passionate energy in dating. After going through the pandemic, testing each other's compatibility (vibes) through direct interaction feels even more important, as we can see from the high enthusiasm towards concerts and outdoor activities, not just a normal dinner date."

"We see singles living a better dating life, as they are able to see the 'green flags' of their potential partners and accept Situationship as a new dating style," he added.

At the end of 2022, Tinder shared its best Year in Swipe findings, from trending relationship statuses and views on social issues to the most popular emojis on Tinder's chat feature.

Situationships are sailing

This year, singles are still going through the ups and downs of romance, but they want a clear agreement.

A “situationship” is a casual relationship that is considered to have a clearer definition; more of a hookup, but at the same time, less of a traditional relationship.

This relationship label is starting to trend in 2022. Tinder found that members who wrote relationship goals on their profiles increased by 49%.

Furthermore, 1 in 102 singles surveyed admitted to choosing Situationship as a way to start a relationship that is not too stressful.

Dashing on dinners

The activities carried out during the pandemic are likely to last.

Tinder members in Indonesia choose 'Traveling' (74%), 'Going to Music Shows' (21%), and 'Culinary' (57%) as their favorite first date activities. Then 'Outdoor Sports' (27%) as a date activity in the summer.

They are looking for more authentic activities to get to know each other, not just having dinner together.

There are also other fun date ideas that have become global trends on Tinder, including Camping, BBQs, trying new things and street food.

Fresh and funny is what’s in

A sense of humor is what members look for the most from their potential matches. 73%2 of young people (globally) admit they are looking for someone who has clear desires and looks clean. Dinner is usually left behind.

When asked about the most important criteria in a partner, they prioritized value-based qualities, such as loyalty (79%), mutual respect (78%), and open-mindedness (61%) over physicality (56%)3.

Likewise, in Indonesia, singles also see many things beyond the old mindset. They look for potential mates who are open-minded and accepting (79%), trustworthy (68%), and share a sense of humor (64%).

Views on social issues can affect relationships

Three-quarters (75%) of singles are looking for a partner who values and observes social issues. Activism and Voter Rights are the two Interests that increased by 84% and 37%, respectively, in global Tinder member profiles this year.

Appreciating the throwback

Many singles are inspired by the 90s, as seen from the increase in Interest posted on their Tinder profiles such as 90s Kids, Anime, to Sneakers.

Even the favorite old-school song, 'Running Up That Hill' by Kate Bush, once again rose to become the top 10 songs selected by Spotify Anthem on the Tinder profile. Tinder is also inspired by the dating trend in the 90s, Blind Date, which became one of Tinder's features.

This feature connects members before showing each other their profiles and has been used 200,000 times on average per day.

The last few years have been rough, and it seems that single people are trying to find an authentic partner with the okay vibes of the pre-smartphone era.

Revenge travel is all the rage

After the pandemic of the past two years, singles finally have the opportunity to explore other parts of the world with fewer restrictions, or even no restrictions at all.

Indonesian members aged 18-25 years,on average use Tinder Passport 9 times per month to several international destinations, such as Singapore, Korea, and Malaysia.

Meanwhile, for local destinations, cities such as Jakarta, Bandung, and Bali are the top three destinations.

Seeing stars

Amid uncertainty and a triple Mercury retrograde in 2022, singles are increasingly relying on the zodiac as their guide.

Zodiac is the most popular description added to a member's Tinder profile, in addition to preferences for smoking, pets, and type of food consumed.

Leo, Scorpio, and Cancer are the most frequently included signs in a Tinder bio, and surprisingly, all signs have a good chance of being matched with the same sign.

Some young Indonesians believe that zodiac compatibility is an important consideration for their dating partners!